--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once upon a time there was a man with no…" description: "\"“Once upon a time there was a man with no heart. Drifting through black-and-white life, caring naught for those hurt, and never, ever allowing another ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/shannon-noelle-long-40572_fairy-tales_once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-man-with-no_953633.jpg" --- # Once upon a time there was a man with no heart. Drifting… ![“Once upon a time there was a man with no heart. Drifting through black-and-white life, caring naught for those hurt, and never, ever allowing another near enough to hurt him. Until, on the least likely day, the most unlikely place, the man with no heart met the most surprising person. He was…” quote by Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/shannon-noelle-long-40572_fairy-tales_once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-man-with-no_953633.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/shannon-noelle-long-40572_fairy-tales_once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-man-with-no_953633.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/shannon-noelle-long-40572_fairy-tales_once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-man-with-no_953633.jpg) > ““Once upon a time there was a man with no heart. Drifting through black-and-white life, caring naught for those hurt, and never, ever allowing another near enough to hurt him. Until, on the least likely day, the most unlikely place, the man with no heart met the most surprising person. He was fearless. He was strength and power. He wore his heart boldly on his sleeve. The man with no heart began, shockingly, to feel a movement in his breast. A stretching, a slow, steady beat...”” [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A heartless man meets a fearless, powerful person who inspires him to feel love and emotional vulnerability. **In simple terms:** Encounter sparks awakening of love. Key Takeaway Open up to love when inspired. Themes love vulnerability transformation fearlessness connection Mood hopeful dramatic Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - therapy sessions - creative writing Key Concepts psychology emotional intelligence narrative therapy Questions to Reflect On - What fears hold you back from love? - How can vulnerability become strength? A Different Perspective Change may be slow and uncertain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fairy tales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy-tales/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Lazarus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazarus/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Once upon a time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once-upon-a-time/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Strength And Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-and-power/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Jesus Hollywood believed in a lot of things. He believed that stars were ghosts of family long since past and that he was more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/jesus-hollywood-believed-in-a-lot-of-things-he-believed-that-stars/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“While gently pushing her towards the dressing room, Lazarus ventured, "Can I ask you something kind of personal?" Pulling her shirt over her head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/while-gently-pushing-her-towards-the-dressing-room-lazarus-ventured/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“What was it you told me, Jesus?” she asked him softly. “Do you remember? Love is love is love. Pain is pain is pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/what-was-it-you-told-me-jesus-she-asked-him-softly-do-you-remember/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“Jesus Hollywood believed in a lot of things. He believed that the stars in the sky were only ghostly images of dead things. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/jesus-hollywood-believed-in-a-lot-of-things-he-believed-that-the/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [Unlike me, Renee was not shy; she was a real people-pleaser. She worried way too much what people thought of her, wore her heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/unlike-me-renee-was-not-shy-she-was-a-real-people-pleaser-she-worried/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Most of my life I made decisions based on relationships. I wore my heart on my sleeve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zayed-khan/most-of-my-life-i-made-decisions-based-on-relationships-i-wore-my/) [Zayed Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zayed-khan/) > [“She wore her heart in her eyes, and I liked her more than I know how to show.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-c-stevens/she-wore-her-heart-in-her-eyes-and-i-liked-her-more-than-i-know-how/) [Courtney C. Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-c-stevens/) > [Paris, on the other hand, looked exactly as it was supposed to look. It wore its heart on its sleeve, and the strange thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/paris-on-the-other-hand-looked-exactly-as-it-was-supposed-to-look-it/) [Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/) > [I have always played the game in the right spirit and always wore my heart on my sleeve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-sreesanth/i-have-always-played-the-game-in-the-right-spirit-and-always-wore-my/) [S. Sreesanth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-sreesanth/) > [“he was ready, perhaps, to shed a little of the armor he wore around his heart, that upon returning to civilization, he intended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/he-was-ready-perhaps-to-shed-a-little-of-the-armor-he-wore-around-his/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [I'm a very patriotic England fan, actually. I always wore my heart on my sleeve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-kane/i-m-a-very-patriotic-england-fan-actually-i-always-wore-my-heart-on/) [Harry Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-kane/) > [I never knew up to that time that God loved us so much. This heart of mine began to thaw out; I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/i-never-knew-up-to-that-time-that-god-loved-us-so-much-this-heart-of/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [You held my hand my heart began to beat faster, you kissed my lips, and it felt like happily ever after, i saw her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-perez/you-held-my-hand-my-heart-began-to-beat-faster-you-kissed-my-lips-and/) [Valerie Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-perez/) > [“I started toward the barn and was grateful that the wind was still. About halfway up the drive, my heart began to beat an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fisher-amelie/i-started-toward-the-barn-and-was-grateful-that-the-wind-was-still/) [Fisher Amelie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fisher-amelie/) > [“And when my heart began to bleed, it was death and death and death indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-when-my-heart-began-to-bleed-it-was-death-and-death-and-death/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Shannon Noelle Long > [“Put that thing down, girl. Don't you know it steals part of your soul, that little mechanical masterpiece you hold so frivolously? Don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/put-that-thing-down-girl-don-t-you-know-it-steals-part-of-your-soul/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“But friendship meant you at least planted the seed for them, love meant allowing them the ability to weed their own garden until it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/but-friendship-meant-you-at-least-planted-the-seed-for-them-love/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“While gently pushing her towards the dressing room, Lazarus ventured, "Can I ask you something kind of personal?" Pulling her shirt over her head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/while-gently-pushing-her-towards-the-dressing-room-lazarus-ventured/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“He used to tell her... that it was because Russia had left a chill in his bones. Lola Plum believed it, only because sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/he-used-to-tell-her-that-it-was-because-russia-had-left-a-chill-in/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“It wasn't so much that Lola Plum believed she'd learned her lesson in love. Lola Plum was just realistic about life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/it-wasn-t-so-much-that-lola-plum-believed-she-d-learned-her-lesson-in/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“Jesus Hollywood believed in a lot of things. He believed that the stars in the sky were only ghostly images of dead things. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/jesus-hollywood-believed-in-a-lot-of-things-he-believed-that-the/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“Jesus Hollywood believed in a lot of things. He believed that stars were ghosts of family long since past and that he was more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/jesus-hollywood-believed-in-a-lot-of-things-he-believed-that-stars/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“Cowboy Rodeo was a very simple man. He liked his life simple. He liked his ranch full of animals, he liked the breeze across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/cowboy-rodeo-was-a-very-simple-man-he-liked-his-life-simple-he-liked/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [“What was it you told me, Jesus?” she asked him softly. “Do you remember? Love is love is love. Pain is pain is pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/what-was-it-you-told-me-jesus-she-asked-him-softly-do-you-remember/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) [Explore all 10 Shannon Noelle Long quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) ## More Fairy tales quotes > [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [I have always been fascinated by the supernatural elements in stories, whether fairy tales, myths, film or literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/i-have-always-been-fascinated-by-the-supernatural-elements-in-stories/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [“If this were a fairy tale, this would be the part where the fishboy appears and Diana shoots him through the heart. Because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-moskowitz/if-this-were-a-fairy-tale-this-would-be-the-part-where-the-fishboy/) [Hannah Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-moskowitz/) > [“Yes sir, the fish was left in place of the crystal ball. It's been bagged and tagged for analysis.” Great. Now we have another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-f-stewart/yes-sir-the-fish-was-left-in-place-of-the-crystal-ball-it-s-been/) [A.F. Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-f-stewart/) > [Here is the world of imagination, hopes, and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, the age of chivalry, magic and make-believe are reborn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/here-is-the-world-of-imagination-hopes-and-dreams-in-this-timeless/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Look at Jane Austen. Her characters derive in a reasonably straight line from fairy tales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/look-at-jane-austen-her-characters-derive-in-a-reasonably-straight/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [Letters crossing in the post, unfamiliar tunes heard three times in one day, the way that blows of fate descend upon the same bowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/letters-crossing-in-the-post-unfamiliar-tunes-heard-three-times-in/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [“What the Boy chiefly dabbled in was natural history and fairy tales, and he just took them as they came, in a sandwichy sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/what-the-boy-chiefly-dabbled-in-was-natural-history-and-fairy-tales/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [I grew up watching monster movies and horror movies, which I felt were like fairy tales and I think this always spoke to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-burton/i-grew-up-watching-monster-movies-and-horror-movies-which-i-felt-were/) [Tim Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-burton/) > [Here about the beach I wandered, nourishing a youth sublime With the fairy tales of science, and the long result of Time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/here-about-the-beach-i-wandered-nourishing-a-youth-sublime-with-the/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“I've been very influenced by folklore, fairy tales, and folk ballads, so I love all the classic works based on these things -- like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-windling/i-ve-been-very-influenced-by-folklore-fairy-tales-and-folk-ballads-so/) [Terri Windling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-windling/) > [Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fairy-tales-are-more-than-true-not-because-they-tell-us-that-dragons/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once I thought fairy tales were lies or worse promises spoken yet meant to be broken intent is all. Why do grown ups feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justice-fitzgerald/once-i-thought-fairy-tales-were-lies-or-worse-promises-spoken-yet/) [Justice Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justice-fitzgerald/) > [Fairy tales read before bed tend to make me dream. They're all quite violent stories, as are my dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/fairy-tales-read-before-bed-tend-to-make-me-dream-they-re-all-quite/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) [Browse all 1,070 Fairy tales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy-tales/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Once upon a time there was a man with no heart. Drifting through black-and-white life, caring naught for those hurt, and never, ever allowing another near enough to hurt him. Until, on the least likely day, the most unlikely place, the man with no heart met the most surprising person. He was fearless. 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